Aeroplane



Oct. 22, 1929. M. D. ROSENBLUM AEROPLANE Filed June 11. 1928 4 Sheets$heet INVENTOR Moi-rial.

ATTO R N EY WITNESSES #ZhwMM Oct. 22, 1929. M. D. ROSENBLUM 1,733,030

AEROPLANE Filed June 11, 1928 45heets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WITNESSES flforrwj fi'oaenblzun/ ATTOR N EY Oct. 22, 1929. M, RQSENBLUM 1,733,030

AEROPLANE Filed June 11, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 nnnnnmi INVENTOR v 1 Z6 Jflwv'isfl RosenZZzuu BY d,

ATTORN EY Oct. 22, 1929. ROSENBLUM 1,733,030

AER OPL ANE Filed-June 11, 1928 4 Sheets$heet 4 Patented Oct. 22, 1929 MORRIS D. ROSENBLEIH, 01' ROCHESTER, NEW YORK AEROPLANE Application filed June 11, 1928. Serial Ito. 284,584.

This invention relates to aeroplanes, and has for an object to provide simple and efiicient means under the pilots control to drop the engine and gas tanks when the engme stops, and to release a parachute connected to the fuselage so that it can be brou ht comparatively safely to the ground wit out serious injury to the occupants.

Further and more specific objects, features, and advantages will more clearly appear from the detailed description given below, taken in connection with the accompanymg drawings, which form part of the specification and which illustrate one embodlment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the aeroplane supplied with my invent1on' Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fi 3 is a-front elevatlonof the aeroplane i 6 showing the parachutes in their extended position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevat1on of the aeroplane ShOWlHg the parachutes in their extende position, and the nose of the aeroplane-released from the fuselage and dropping away from it.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through part of the wing showing the details of the parachute housing mechanism.

' Fig. 6 is a partial plan view with the portions in section showing the means for latchin the engine casing to the fuselage. f 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 10-.

Fig. 8 's a partial elevation of one of the latchmgmechani sms.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through the mechanism shown 1n Flg. 8.

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section through the front of the fuselage and the rear of t e nose of the aeroplane showing the nose about to be detached, in dotted lines.

The preferred form of the invention which is shown inthe drawings comprises an aero- 4 ane having a fuselage 10, a main wing 11, nd a nose portion 12 which is a casing hous- 'ing the engine 13 and possibly gas and oil tanks, although these are not shown in the drawings. On the top of the wing 11 are dis-' 9 posed a plurality of compartments having doors or covers 14, 15 and 16 pivoted thereto. A similar compartment is provided at'the rear of the fuselage, and has a pivoted door 17. These doors are held closed by latches such as 18 to which are connected ropes or cables 19 running over suitable pulleys to a f point adjacent the pilots seat, where they are connected together to a handle 20, which, when pulled by the pilot, will release the latches. The purpose of releasing the latches is to put the doors in condition to be opened. .Referring to Fig. 5, the details of the construction of each compartment, are shown.

One of the doors such as 15, is shown in closed position in full lines, and open position in dotted lines; The compartment has a bottom plate 21 to which is fastened the ropes 22 connected to a arachute 23, the material of which is suita ly folded up within the compartment on top of a movable plate 24 having holes 25 therein, through which the ropes 22 project to connect the other end with the parachute material. Beneath the movable plate 24 are disposed a plurality of springs 26 of suflicient strength to hurl the parachute material upward the instant the door 15 is released, so that the door is swung open and the parachute released as the aeroplane drops, so as to immediately assume the extended position shown inFigs. 3.and 4. In this way,4;he pilot can instantly release the plurality of parachutes which are so disposed on the wing and on the fuselage as to permit the aeroplane to drop on' an even keel, as it were to the ground without serious injury eithei to the fuselage or to the pilot.

In order to more safely effect this result, it is desirable at the time the parachutes are released to be able to drop the engine which of course adds considerable to the weight of the entire mechanism. To this end, the engine housing 12, which, in the form shown, is the nose of the aeroplane, is detachably connected to the front of the fuselage. The operator provides the simple means of releasing a plurality of latches holding the enginehousing to the fuselage, and then by a movement of means, such as the foot lever, can give the engine housing anfinitial tilt to separate it from the fuselage,whereupon it will dro b gravity to the ground, thus freeing the lage from its weight, and permittin the fuselage to drop muc more gently un er the retarding actlonof the parachutes.

' The details of the connection between the engine housing and the fuselage is shown in Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive. In these figures, the

fuselage 10 is provided with a circular ring 27 fastened securely to it. This rin is provided with slots 28 therein, preferab y at the top and the sides. The rear ed e of the engine housing or nose, is adapte to lie in sli 'n engagement with this ring. It is also provi ed with slots 29 (see Fig. 9) which are aligned with the slots 28 in the ring 27. These slots are referably rectangular in shape and of slig tly lar er dimension than a latch plate 30 adapte to lie outside the ring normally in a position as shown in Fi 1 at right angles to the slots 28 and 29. T1118 latch plate 28 is provided with inwardly projecting pins 31 and 32 onits ends extendmg through curved slots 33 and 34 formed in the ring 27, and similar aligned slots in the rear surface of the en ine housing. The latch plate 30 is provi ed with a central shaft 35 extending through the slots28, 29 and having at its rear end a circular plate 36 of considerably larger dimension than the slots. This disc or plate 36 is provided with at least two oppositely disposed casings 37 housing springs 38 bearing against the surface of the ends or en ine housing 12. To this disc is connected a ea le 39; this cable extending to a point adjacent the operators seat and provided with a handle such as 40 (see Fi 6), which, when pulled by the operator wif rotate the disc 36 to align the plate 30 with the slots 28 and 29, rmit-ting' the springs 38 to ull the latch plil te 30 through the slots and t us disconnect it.

This action takes place when the operator pulls either one handle, such as 40, or three such handles. It is possible and within the scope of the invention to have all the latch lates 30 connected to one handle. With the hatches thus released, the operator depresses a pedal 41 which raises the front end of it 42 beneath a plate 43 on the lower rear part of the nose, and tilts the nose forward. The lower rear surface of the nose is provided with a tapered groove 44 normally resting on,

' or receiving a projection 45 on the front of the fuselage actin as a sort of fulcrum or pivot point aroun which the nose is tilted. As soon as the nose is tilted enough, it will drop 'away from the fuselage by gravity.

I claim:

1. In an aeroplane having a fuselage, an engine-supporting casing removably attached thereto, said fuselage and easing having aligned slots, a. latch plate adapted to be aligned with said slots, but having a normal position transverse thereto on the outside to rotate it to align the latch plate with the slots, and means associated with said plates to pull the latch plate through said slots and release the engine housing from the fuselage. 2. In an aeroplane, a fuselage, ahengine housing removably attached thereto, latching means for holding the housing to the fuselage, means under the control of the operator to release said latching means, and

manual means under control of the operator to give the engine housing an initial dethching movement.

3. In an aeroplane, a fuselage, a nose housing,an engine removably attached thereto, latching means disposed at the top and sides of the nose to connectit to the fuselage, means under the control of the operator for releasing said latching means, the lower portion of the nose being fulcrumed on an adjacent portion of the fuselage, and a lever under the control of the operator for tilting the nose around said fulcrum after the latching means has been released.

4. In an aeroplane, a fuselage having a forwardly extending encircling ring, a slot in said rlng, an engine housing nose casing adapted to lie adjacent said ring, and having an aligned slot therein, alatch plate normally lying outside said ring at an angle to said slot, a stem on said plate extending through said slots, a rotatable plate on the inner end of said stem lying against the adjacent surface of the engine casing, spring means connected to said rotatable plate tending to push it away from the adjacent surface, pins on the end of said latch plate, said ring and engine casing having curved slots in which said pins lie, said curved slots at one end connecting to the above mentioned slots in the ring and engine casing, and means under the control of the pilot for moving said rotatable plates 7 to align the latch plate with the slots to permit the springs to pull it therethrough and release the engine casing. from the fuselage.

5. In an aeroplane, a fuselage, an engine housing removably attached thereto, latching means for holding the housing to the fuselage, means under control of the operator to release said latching means, the lower portion of the engine housing being fulcrumed oil a portion of the fuselage, and means for tilt-- ing. and releasing said engine housing from said fulcrum after the latching means has been released.

MORRIS n. ROSENBLUM. 

